'Potential war between Russia and West will be dangerously close' - Polish President

"Ukraine and the free world must jointly oppose Russian aggression and must win. If we allow Ukraine to lose, the potential war between Russia and the West will be dangerously close," he said.

He added that if "we do not counter Russian imperialism and blunt the cruel blade of (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin, this voracious Russian monster will want to attack further and further."

Duda emphasized that the West should not focus on counting the days to a potential confrontation with Russia, but on taking action.

"We must do our job, aware of the threats. And we must act rationally and calmly. And I think that’s what we are doing today - we have significantly increased defense spending in Poland, and everyone, I hope, understands that they need to be supported. This is what Polish society expects, although it is a great sacrifice. But right now, the number one goal is Poland's security," he stressed.

The threat of war between Russia and NATO

In recent months, Europe has been actively discussing the potential invasion of Russia and a war with NATO countries. Germany estimated that Russia’s preparation period for such a conflict is six years.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a high risk of conflict between Russia and the Baltic countries and emphasized that the likelihood of confrontation increases sharply if Ukraine is weakened.

France does not believe there is a real threat of Russian invasion of NATO countries. However, they assert that Europe must be prepared for such a development.

Previously, the Institute for the Study of War stated that Russia is preparing for a possible war with NATO and is trying to conquer Ukraine to use its resource potential.